Hello, everyone! This week’s article features not only the current 5.24 iteration of Rust Moon’s firearm rules, but also the Gunslinger subclass for the Fighter. There have been a lot of attempts at firearm rules across the history of fantasy role-playing games, and while the newest Player’s Handbook does feature two guns (a pistol and musket), they don’t particularly reflect the ubiquitous firearms that you can find in the Rust Moon Territory. On the other hand, the recent Game Master’s Guide from Kobold Press approached firearms in a similar way to how I wanted to, albeit with more strict limits on a gun’s potential damage.

In this article, the focus is on 4 basic guns – a simple pistol, a lighter revolver oriented towards the dual-wielding gunfighters, a shotgun which delivers a blast effect for crowd control, and a rifle meant for long-distance shooting.

The Gunslinger is an interesting subclass development-wise – The game design challenge is to decide where firearms’ features end and the subclass’s features begin – What are the Gunslinger’s talents, and how do they capitalize on guns’ features overall? Hopefully that reflects well with a lot of their features indirectly increasing the chances to trigger a gun’s Erupt property.

Firearms

Weapon | Cost | Damage | Weight | Weapon Option | Properties

Simple Firearms

Pistol | 100 GP | 1d8 piercing | 3 lb. | Erupt | Ammunition (range 80/320 ft.), Loading

Revolver | 150 GP | 1d6 piercing | 2 lb. | Erupt | Ammunition (range 80/320 ft.), Light

Shotgun | 200 GP | 1d8 bludgeoning | 8 lb. | Erupt | Ammunition, Heavy, Two-handed, Loading, Blast 15 feet

Martial Firearms

Rifle | 300 GP | 1d8 piercing | 6 lb. | Erupt | Ammunition (range 150/600 ft.), Heavy, Loading, Two-handed

Weapon Mastery: Erupt

If you hit a creature with this weapon, when you roll the highest number possible on a die, you may roll that damage die again and add it to the total damage dealt. You may continue to roll extra dice in this way, as long as you continue to roll the highest number possible on the die.

If a feature allows you to roll dice to deal extra damage on a weapon attack, such as Sneak Attack, this property applies to those dice as well.

Weapon Property: Blast (X Feet)

A weapon with the Blast property emits a spreading cone of small projectiles. When making an attack with this weapon, make a ranged attack roll against each creature within a cone of the specified size, dealing the weapon’s damage on a hit.

If a feature allows you to deal extra damage on a weapon attack, such as Sneak Attack, you may only deal this additional damage to one target of the attack.

Fighter Subclass – Gunslinger

Gunslingers come from all walks of life – prodigies with uncanny aim, veterans who can shoot from the hip at a moment’s notice, and folk heroes willing to face impossible odds. Whatever the case, these masters of firearms stand unflinching amidst the thunder of gunfire and the din of battle.

Gunslinger Progression

Fighter Level | Features

3rd | Firearm Mastery, Crack Shot

7th | Full Salvo

10th | Covering Fire

18th | High Noon

Level 3: Firearm Mastery

You’ve developed a signature style while using a firearm. When selecting your Weapon Masteries, you may select a firearm twice. If you do, in addition to the Erupt mastery property, you may choose a second mastery property to unlock while using that firearm.

Level 3: Crack Shot

Your bullets seldom miss the mark. When you roll a 1 on a damage die using a firearm, you may re-roll that die, using the new result.

You may use this feature once per damage roll.

Level 7: Full Salvo

As you unleash a flurry of shots at your foes, your attacks close in on their targets. You gain a cumulative +1 bonus to hit for each ranged weapon attack you make until the end of your turn.

Level 10: Covering Fire

When you make a ranged weapon attack with a firearm, you may choose a creature friendly to you within 30 feet of you. They may move up to 10 feet and can choose to fall Prone or remain standing.

Level 18: High Noon

As a Bonus Action, you draw your weapon and charge into battle. For the next minute, if you hit with a ranged firearm attack, it is considered a critical hit. If you are hit with an attack roll, it is also considered a critical hit.

Some artwork © Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.